Thankfully, Sailor Venus was saved from public humiliation.
The clear horns of her parent's retinue rang out, signaling the arrival of the king and queen. As the royalty descended upon the courtyard in golden litters, Venus had never been so relieved to see her mother and father. Although some of the crowed showed their disapproval as she dismounted the stage, most turned to watch the royal procession. Dancers and performers dressed in lavish costumes cleared a path to the Kirabati's tent. Musicians filled the streets with lively song while firetamers spewed balls of flame into the air. Venus had wanted to avoid all this commotion by reaching the rent first, but now was eternally grateful for the distraction. She managed to find her siblings and Kunzite in the crowd and urged them to join her.
"Mother and Father sure know how to make an entrance," Marc remarked.
"I wanted to avoid this," All of this, she thought. "Let us go around."
Venus grabbed her sister's hand and began to push her way through the excited crowd. The guards bowed to them, giving only a brief glance to Sailor Venus' uniform before allowing them entrance.
Inside, she allowed herself a moment to breathe. The revelry was muted by the thick canvas, letting her refocus on the disaster narrowly escaped. She dared a glance at Kunzite and found him enthralled with their surroundings. They were in the Lenar, the sacred room where her mother read the fortunes of her subjects. On the dark wood table sat the same intricate bowl with which Queen Jocelyn had shown Venus her fate, her match in this world. Unconsciously she looked between Kunzite and the bowl, remembering how he had looked the same in the murky depths.
She realized, too late, that look of realization on her brother's face. He had sensed the flow of her thoughts. Marc had been watching her closely for the last few days, testing her barriers even more than usual. Fool, she cursed herself.
"I should go and check up on the procession," she said in rushed tones, hoping she could escape.
"Loni, wait!" Marc moved, faster than she ever remembered him, and cut in front of her.
"Marc, please-"
"He's the one, isn't he?" She was thankful he had enough sense to say it in Venusian, but the question turned her breath to ice inside her.
"Brother-"
"I can see it in your eyes; I don't need to read your emotions. They way you have acted around him…"
"This changes nothing."
"This changes everything!" And then she saw it in her brother's eyes; the hope that she dreaded. If his duty bound sister could love who she chose, then so could he. Sailor Venus felt a deep sadness for them both, but a rage welled up inside her.
"Do you want to know what I feel?" She dropped her shields and launched her emotions at Marc. Her feelings of despair, anger, and resentment crashed against him and the force of it physically made him stagger. It was only for an instant, but it was enough to bring tears to the prince's eyes. A childish and cruel move, something done without thought. Venus hated herself for what she'd just done, but the bitterness of her fate could not be held back.
"There is no hope for me and there is no hope for you!" she shouted before storming out of the room.
Kunzite didn't need to understand Venusian to understand the hurt in Sailor Venus' voice. He had to restrain himself from following her when she rushed from the extravagant room. He knew his presence would only make it worse somehow. He had no right to comfort a woman he had rejected, either.
Princess Ashani sniffed beside him. Tears blotted her brilliant eyes. She too must have felt the quick wave of anguish that even Kunzite had experienced while Venus was screaming. It felt like someone he trusted had punched him in the gut without cause.
Prince Marceneau wiped his eyes dry and stared down at his little sister. Kunzite wished he could help, but feared to interfere. Marc passed a pained look between Ashani and Kunzite before he approached the youngest royal. He whispered something in Venusian as he touched her shoulder.
"Please excuse us, Kunzite. The king and queen should be in shortly to keep you company."
They left like mournful funeral attendants, morose and slow. Kunzite was left alone in the heavily accented space, the thick curtains pushing in close. He felt, once again, that an argument revolved around him. The way Marc had glanced at him confirmed Kunzite was least part of the discussion.
He did not have to wait too long for an audience. At first, he was startled when a mass of feathers and shining crystals entered the room. Queen Jocelyn was wearing an enormous headdress made of large red and white plumage and stiff material that curled about her head. Her long hair was braided off her shoulder with a strand of sparkling white crystal woven in, and her alluring silver gown almost blinded him even in this dim light. Heavy gold paint covered her eyelids and only her bottom lip was dressed in a vibrant red.
"Oh Kunzite, there you are. Could you be so kind as to help me get this enormous, ridiculous monstrosity off my head?"
The Shitennou complied quickly and received a very grateful sigh when the deed was done. Jocelyn took her seat and seemed to grow even larger without the added weight holding her down.
"That is much better, thank you. Marceneau insists that our costumes just get even more outrageous every year. I don't know what there is left to do, but he always comes up with something spectacular. What are you doing in here by yourself, Lord Kunzite?"
"Sailor Venus brought myself, Prince Marceau and Princess Ashani through the entrance here." Kunzite idly pointed to the half hidden doorway between the folds of the tent. "They retired, but I was not sure if I should follow or remain."
"I did see my youngest ones, but Sailor Venus…" Jocelyn sighed. "She has a way about her. She can disappear into a crowd effortlessly, but when she wants you to notice, she'll light up a room so all eyes are drawn to her. I have never known how my daughter learned such things."
"She was in…distress," Kunzite admitted.
Queen Jocelyn glanced at him for a long moment, her eyes seeing the Shitennou and so much more. He felt as if she were going to admit something important, but when she turned away her eyes had lost their intensity.
"She carries many burdens. I wish I could help her," Jocelyn whispered. She was playing with a gem on the table, rolling it absentmindedly between her long fingers. The room became very still, the noise from the crowds just a low hum against the heavy tent.
"Is there where you read fortunes?" Kunzite asked, trying to change the subject.
"Yes."
"Could you tell me more about it, Your Majesty?"
The way he addressed her seemed to snap her out of the mental fog encapsulating the queen and she sat up straighter in her seat. "Of course, I would be delighted. Well, I take one client in at a time. I check their papers to make sure they are of appropriate age; I usually get the children or adults of the court and know who has come of age."
"I have them sit in the chair opposite of me," She continued, motioning for Kunzite to be seated. "Then I use these gems and items to help tell their fortunes, but honestly they are mostly for show. They help a Kirabati concentrate and have no magical properties on their own. We pass them down to our successors. This set has been used for almost five hundred years."
She paused, reaching into the bowl in front of them and twirling a painted nail in the water. "We use water as a conduit for our powers. Some Kirabati use ice or steam; some extravagant souls try to use mirrors, but that takes a lot of energy."
"I mean no disrespect Queen Jocelyn, but how can you tell if one person is fitting for another? A life with someone is a big decision to leave to powers unknown."
Jocelyn gave a jolt of laughter. "Compared to what other means, Kunzite? You walk down a street, see a beautiful woman and decide to converse with her. You court her and if you feel a connection, you might marry her. What makes that connection, what brings two people together? Everything in this world is connected by one moment of creation. We are linked to one another and I can see those links like golden threads. Some people have stronger tethers that burn bright in the cosmic darkness. Everything in nature has an opposite. It's not something I can fully describe, but something that must be felt and seen to truly understand."
"And if a mate were to perish, or never be found…"
"We are still linked to all others in this universe and can find a common bond to banish the loneliness of life. The connection might not be so vibrant at first, but love grows. Space and time are too vast for us to face completely alone."
"I have managed without a mate for this long."
Jocelyn smiled. "But you have not been alone, have you? Your family, your brotherhood, your prince…all have touched your life and shared in your fears and dreams whether you willingly admit or not. To face true solitude turns a heart cold and bitter and you are anything but, Lord Kunzite."
Kunzite inclined his head, showing gratitude to her praise with a gesture. "You mentioned not all support this tradition."
"Yes. Some refrain from letting destiny interfere with their decisions. Others fear the weight of truth and meaning to life. Some spread their love too thin. There will always be those that venture from the traditional path and I do not discourage nor support what I cannot understand. It does not matter; love will find a way regardless if I am there to show others the way, and that is all that truly matters."
"I must admit, I am surprised you have not asked me," Kunzite said.
"Asked you what?" Jocelyn questioned.
"If I would want my fortune read."
After a meaningful silence, Jocelyn shook her head. "I know you would never ask me, Kunzite, and I am not one to force the hand of fate. People who want their fortunes must come to me. Speaking of such things, I will be expecting my customers soon. If you would please excuse me…"
"Of course. Thank you for your hospitality, Queen Jocelyn."
Kunzite walked out into the dimming sunshine; the days were growing darker, a now perpetual twilight caught on the edge of night. The elite of the Venusian court swarmed around him with excited whispers and casual laughs. He suddenly felt very heavy with the events of today. He had not forgotten earlier events. Against all reasoning he had won the game, bent on kissing her one more time, feeling the searing heat of her lips against his. Suddenly, he did not want to be in public, the crowd an extra pressure against his already weighted heart.
He made his way back towards the palace proper, slipping between pillars and servants busy with work. His feet found their way to the practice square. Kunzite found it one day during his voluntary imprisonment. The fighting arena was sunken down while the tools of the trade lined the walls around it. The square seemed to extend all the way to the heavens as the courtyard was opened but secure, the walls extending like a giant chimney up towards the sky.
A pair dueled on the white sands. One Kunzite recognized as the boy Adonis while the other was unknown to him. The echo of their practice swords filled the arena and if not for a subtle movement, Kunzite would not have seen the other occupant in the room. Prince Marceneau stood halfway in shadow and hidden by a large potted plant over to Kunzite's right.
The prince's eyes were locked on the mock battle before him, but he was not interested in their techniques or fighting skills. The look in his gaze reminded Kunzite of women watching their husbands leave for war, a mournful appreciation mixed with tattered hope. There was no denying the fierce love there, nor the silent tear of longing and heartache slowly moving down his cheek.
The Shitennou wanted to console Prince Marceneau, but he had no words for something he could not fully understand. Kunzite quietly retraced his steps, knowing he would not be welcomed here. He had expected this task to be arduous on his nerves, his training and to some extent his hold on his emotions; he had not expected it to play torment with his heart. Nothing was as it should be. He needed to secure the Venusian support and leave, but now he had a hard time separating his given quests with his personal ones. Kunzite felt a great choice looming on the darkening horizon and for the first time in his life, he was not sure of his rightful path.
